Welcome, once again, to the #Collaboreads link up! You can read more about it here, but the basic synopsis is that you read a book based on that month’s criteria, and then write a review about it! They have even created a mnemonic to review the book. It’s amazing, and I hope you join in with us!
This month’s criteria: Love At First Sight
Book I Chose: Eden Close by Anita Shreve
Synopsis: Andrew, after many years, returns to his hometown to attend his mother’s funeral. Planning to remain only a few days, he is drawn into the tragic legacy of his childhood friend and beautiful girl next door, Eden Close. An adopted child, Eden had learned to avoid the mother who did not want her and to please the father who did. She also aimed to please Andrew and his friends, first by being one of the boys and later by seducing them. Then one hot night, Andrew was awakened by gunshots and piercing screams from the next farm: Mr. Close had been killed and Eden blinded. Now, seventeen years later, Andrew begins to uncover the grisly story – to unravel the layers of thwarted love between the husband, wife, and tormented girl. And as the truth about Eden’s past comes to light, so too does Andrew’s strange and binding attachment to her reveal itself.
I have a goal this year to work through the books I own that I haven’t read, as well as start re-reading some books I’ve been holding on to forever, in order to par down on the books I actually have have on my bookshelf(ves). I own a lot of books, too many, really (although is there such a thing?) and I really do need to donate a few of them. The prompt this month was to choose a book that has a cover you really found intruiging, and so I picked Eden Close, a book I picked up back in 2012 at a used book store while we were on vacation. Anddd I’m not sure how I felt about it. So read on! (And if you’ve read this book before, please let me know what you thought in the comments! I’d love to chat with you!)
RIVETING.
What part of the book could you NOT get enough of? The writing style was very…. eloquent? It was the descriptive style of writing, that makes you feel like the humid summer heat was making your own drops of sweat roll down your back. It was beautiful.
ELEMENTS.
How did you relate/care for the characters? What’s your thought on the plot line and twists and turns? None of the characters were particularly likeable, and it’s in books like these that I can’t determine if it’s because they weren’t written well, or if they were written so well that we see them as what they are, flawed and broken human characters. I just can’t decide. The way the book was written was interesting, as it was set in present day, with many, many flashbacks. I occassionally had to back track to make sure I knew just what “era” I was reading about, although it did become more clear as the book progressed. The plot itself is interesting, the twist at the end not entirely convincing, but a fair shock, nonetheless.
ASSOCIATE.
What other books are like this one? If none, did it remind you of a particular TV show or movie with it’s themes and characters? In part, it reminded me of Ethan Frome (which I believe was even mentioned in the book). There were also glimpses of other books throughout, but none that stood out to me by name.
DESIGN.
You know you judged this book by the cover. What did you think of it? How did it relate to the contents of the novel? And the font and layout of the pages? I find the cover quite interesting (obviously, as this was the criteria this month!). The harsh colors contrasted with the blurred illustration really captured my eye.
STARS.
How many out of five do you give this book? Would you recommend this book to a friend? I gave it 3 stars, which is kind of a cop out, to be honest. I’m not sure if it should have been a 2 or a 4, so a 3 had to do. I don’t think I would recommend it, though.
For Next Month:
March’s criteria is Green With Envy, so pick a book with a green cover, or green in the title. We’ll link up on March 28th! Come and join us.
